Short answer: Truro Cathedral's Christmas programme includes Christmas by Candlelight (Sat 5 Dec, 7.30pm), Christmas with Truro Cathedral Choir (Sat 19 Dec, 7.30pm, from £16, under-18s free), Nine Lessons and Carols on 23 and 24 December, and Christmas Eve Midnight Mass. Check the cathedral's site for service times and tickets.
Truro Cathedral is the obvious place for carols in Cornwall. The three spires dominate the city skyline, and inside, the acoustics suit both a choir and a candlelit pop concert. Here is what is confirmed for Christmas 2026, and what to check.
A concert of well-known Christmas songs performed by a cast of West End singers with a live band, lit by candles. The cathedral's event page lists it as 7.30pm to 10.15pm and says to expect White Christmas, O Holy Night and Winter Wonderland, with a sing-along feel that works for families. Tickets are sold through the Concerts by Candlelight box office rather than the cathedral shop, and the page did not show a price, so check when you book.
This is the cathedral's own choir, and it is the one to pick if you want choral music rather than a pop concert. The event page describes festive music from medieval tunes to modern carols written for the choir, including traditional Cornish carols such as the Sans Day Carol. It runs from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Adult tickets are from £16 and under-18s go free. Book through the cathedral shop.
The cathedral's Nine Lessons and Carols page says the service is held twice, on 23 and 24 December, once with the girl choristers and adult singers and once with the boy choristers and adult singers. Each has a different programme and draws around 1,000 people. In 2025 the 23 December service started at 7pm and was free to attend with a welcome for all, but the 2026 times and whether any seats are ticketed were not published when we checked. Please check before you go, and arrive early, as the nave fills up.
The Truro diocese listing for Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at the cathedral says doors open at 10.30pm. It does not give the year or the exact start, so treat the times as something to confirm on the special services page or by calling the cathedral on 01872 276782.
The concerts above are ticketed. The traditional services are generally open to everyone, but that is the cathedral's decision each year, so check. If you want a free way to hear the building at Christmas, the cathedral is open to visitors in the day (Google lists Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11.30am to 4pm, closed Saturday, but those hours change around events, so check the day you travel).
The cathedral is in the middle of Truro, so park in a city car park and walk. The big Christmas draws in the city are covered in Truro City of Lights and the Christmas market and Truro at Christmas: what to know. If you are making an evening of it, Hall for Cornwall is a short walk away and runs the 2026 panto.
For the whole picture of what is on, see our December 2026 events guide and the Truro guide.
It has a disabled toilet but, according to a Google reviewer, no Changing Places toilet. Another reviewer noted a temporary ramp at the front in July 2026. Wheelchair users should ring ahead to ask about step-free entry on the evening. Truro Cathedral has 4.7 from 3,287 Google reviews, and reviewers often mention the candlelit concerts and the acoustics.
The cathedral's visitor FAQ gives clear answers, though they are for daytime visits, so check for the evening you are going.
For dogs, the cathedral says well-behaved dogs on leads are allowed inside, but not in the Cathedral Restaurant. Identified assistance dogs can go everywhere. The FAQ does not say whether dogs are welcome at ticketed concerts or the busy carol services, so ask the cathedral on 01872 276782 if you plan to bring one. Long evening events on stone floors are cold for dogs and people alike.
The ticketed concerts may use special seating, which could change how wheelchair spaces work, so ask the box office when booking.
Visit Truro lists the city's car parks and says Edward Street Long Stay Car Park (TR1 3AJ) and Moresk Car Park (TR1 1DW) are free from 4pm to 9am. Edward Street has 3.8 from 41 Google reviews, and one reviewer says it is a fairly steep hill down to town and it fills up. Moresk has 3.9 from 14 reviews, with comments about cost and upkeep, so check the signs for charges. Free from 4pm should cover a 7.30pm concert or Midnight Mass, but confirm on the day, as charging rules change.
Park and ride is less useful for evenings. Langarth Park & Ride has 4.6 from 503 Google reviews and is listed 6.30am to 8.30pm, Monday to Saturday, and closed Sunday. One reviewer says the last bus back leaves Market Square at 7pm. If that is right, it will not work for a 7.30pm start. Tregurra Park and Ride is the eastern site, but we found no times for it.
Our Truro parking guide has the wider picture.
The cathedral's FAQ says no cafe is currently operating inside, though there is a pop-up shop and plenty of places nearby. The catch is timing. Most Truro cafes close mid-afternoon, so for a 7.30pm concert you need an early dinner, a late lunch or a planned evening booking.
Opening hours around Christmas can change, so ring ahead. The Truro town page has more places to eat, and the cathedral's own site is the place for Midnight Mass timings.
Saturday 5 December 2026, 7.30pm to 10.15pm, with West End singers and a live band. Tickets are through the Concerts by Candlelight box office.
Adult tickets are from £16 and under-18s go free. The concert is on Saturday 19 December, 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
The cathedral says it holds the service twice, on 23 and 24 December, with different choristers each night. Check the cathedral for the 2026 start times.
A Christmas Eve Midnight Mass is listed with doors at 10.30pm, but the year is not stated. Confirm with the cathedral on 01872 276782.
Yes, normally in the daytime, though events can close parts of it. Check the cathedral website on the day.
Daytime entry is free according to the cathedral's FAQ, and tours are free with donations welcome. Ticketed concerts are separate.
The cathedral's FAQ says no cafe is currently operating inside. There is a pop-up shop and cafes nearby in Truro.
Yes, a hearing loop is installed and a portable loop is available.
Visit Truro lists Edward Street and Moresk car parks as free from 4pm to 9am. Check the signs on the night.
Times, prices and dates are the businesses' and organisers' to change, so check before you travel. Spotted something we've got wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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